Anastasia has pale purple wavy hair that flows down her back.
Standing next to him was Julius, a pretentious looking knight with carefully combed dark purple hair.
The two stand out as being upper class together as a pure master and servant, but after such a string of unique characters, it's hard not to worry that another eccentric person like them might appear.
Subaru's concerns seemed to be shared by those around him, and from the start, the air was filled with a great deal of anxiety and tension as they watched the two of them step forward.
In the hall, filled with such an unpleasant tension, Anastasia, attracting everyone's attention, was the first to
"If people are expecting us to have strong personalities like the previous two, then that's a bit too much for us. Being too strong isn't very well received, so the lack of individuality is our selling point."
Anastasia clapped her hands twice, shaking everyone to their senses, then smiled gently so that everyone could see in surprise.
Anastasia's smile caused the strange, uncomfortable atmosphere in the hall to relax slightly. Several coughs were heard, and signs of shame for carrying the same mood from earlier could be seen in the stands.
Anastasia looked at their reactions with satisfaction and nodded once,
"Well then, I, Anastasia Hoshin, will be speaking. I'm a stranger, so please bear with me if I'm being rude."
She claps her hands together, tilts her head slightly, and exudes charm.
That opening line and her devilish mannerisms, manipulating the other person's reaction with just one movement.
and,
"I am Lady Anastasia's number one knight, Julius Euclius. Please leave it to me to follow up on you. I will support you with grace."
Lightly stroking his bangs, Julius made his presence known with pointlessly refined movements.
Indeed, it became clear that the phrase "lack of individuality is its selling point" was suddenly false information.
Putting aside Julius's stately splendor, what bothers Subaru is the tone of Anastasia's voice, which gives off a sense of incongruity in this other world.
It wasn't a dialect that Subaru was familiar with, being a Kanto native born in the Kanto region, but it was still a dialect that it was hard not to hear at least once a day when turning on the TV. It was unclear how well the intonation was done and the capabilities of the other-world translation, but it was a pretty impressive job.
Subaru nodded in praise of the invisible function. Meanwhile, the proceedings were proceeding steadily. After Anastasia had introduced herself, Mycroft, standing on the podium, touched his long beard and said,
"That particular tone of voice, are you from Kararagi?"
"That's right. I come from Kararagi, the lowest tier of the free trade cities."
"Hmm, the lowest district - then what is your connection to Lugnica?"
As Anastasia spoke of her origins, Mycroft's eyes narrowed slightly.
If the meaning of the word "lower class" is the same as in Lugnica, then Anastasia's status would be that of a commoner. Or, as the meaning of the word "lowest class" suggests, it could be even lower.
If that's the case, then perhaps her current extravagant clothes were bought for her by Julius. Despite that, she seems used to wearing them, and it's hard to understand why she has the nerve to not be intimidated in front of the nation's leading figures, including the Council of Sages.
While Subaru was pondering this question in his mind, Anastasia calmly shrugged her shoulders in response to the sharp gazes directed at her,
"Although I come from the lowest class, I have a mansion in the capital now. I have also set up shops in several other cities. I even visited Lugnica about it."
"Hoshin Trading Company is a company that is growing exponentially with her as its president. As the company expands in Kararagi, there has been talk of opening a store in Lugnica as well. That was how my connection with Anastasia-sama first began."
Julius adds to what Anastasia said. Hearing this, Mycroft nods in agreement, saying, "I see."
"So you're a young merchant born in a lower class district who made his name through his business acumen?"
"The great thing about Kararagi is that even a young girl like me is given a chance. It's interesting, but it seems I have a talent for sniffing out money."
Anastasia proudly touches her shapely nose.
Subaru could see the contents of that statement spreading unrest among those around him - especially among the civil servants. Subaru had taken a fairly vague interpretation of it, like it was the result of some kind of wealthy alchemist's activities in the vein of "The Straw Millionaire", but it seemed that it wasn't that simple.
I don't know much about the height of the wall that exists between commoners and nobles, but the wall that Anastasia had jumped over with a laugh must have been something that was beyond my reach.
In the noisy throne room, Anastasia quietly recounts her achievements. Julius steps forward to urge the civil servants, whose actions are still causing controversy, to further promote her.
"Even in Lugnica, Lady Anastasia's Hoshin Trading Company expanded in scale with the cooperation of the Euclius family. What is surprising is the fact that this company, which spans two countries, has grown so rapidly in just a few years thanks to Lady Anastasia."
If Anastasia's age was anything to go by, she wasn't that far off from Subaru's, probably around twenty years old.
We don't know at what age she realized her business acumen, but when you consider that fact, it's easy to see that she's a monster in the world of finance.
"Anastasia-sama is a business genius… no, I would say a genius. Her business acumen is not affected by her beautiful appearance… excuse me, it is a natural gift that is not influenced by age. Her eye for opportunity and her talent for motivating people are both things I can only envy, as I am no genius."
"That's really impressive, for the best knight to boast like that."
Mycloth nodded generously at Julius's words, which were full of humility. However, Subaru, who was listening nearby, was not entirely convinced by what he was saying.
Subaru tilted his head at the words Mycroft had just spoken,
"If I didn't hear you wrong, weren't you called the greatest knight?"
With each knight standing beside their respective candidates, the only one who could answer Subaru's question was Reinhard, who was still standing in the same line.
In response to Subaru's question, he turned his gaze towards him,
"I was called. In the Royal Guard of the Kingdom of Lugnica, aside from the commander, Commander Marcos, the highest ranking is Julius. There is also a vice-commander, but this is only a nominal honorary position, so you can think of it as mostly vacant."
Looking over at Marcos, who was waiting in the center, Reinhardt then gazed at the back of Julius, who was behaving gracefully while being the center of attention,
"His skill with the sword and his use of mana. His family background and proven track record mean that Julius' qualities as a knight are impeccable. Without question, he is worthy of being called the greatest knight."
"But in the downtown area of the capital, weren't you the one who was referred to as the 'Knight among Knights'? It was well known even to the masses, and you didn't deny it, did you?"
"There are many differences between the nickname and my actual abilities. However, if we are talking about sword skills alone, I am undoubtedly superior to Julius. I have never met anyone stronger than me."
Subaru was taken aback by the sudden announcement of such a powerful statement, but Reinhard, who had made the bombshell statement, continued calmly and without any pride.
"But the world isn't so simple that everything can run smoothly just by being skilled with the sword. In terms of overall strength, I'm far inferior to Julius… and in that respect, I'm probably no match for Ferris either."
"I don't know if my self-esteem is high or low..."
"I don't think I'm overestimating or underestimating myself. It's just that there's a limit to what I can do with my skills, and those who can reach things that are beyond my reach are worthy of respect – that's what I'm saying. And of course, the same goes for you."
"Putting aside your own assessment, you definitely overestimate others."
At the very least, Subaru doesn't think he's demonstrated enough merit to warrant Reinhard's enthusiastic support. Subaru is aware that he's just an average guy with no talent to speak of, and he thinks that his actions up until now have been the result of a mediocre person acting in his own way.
Therefore, talking with Reinhardt, who looked straight at him and judged him by saying, 『You're seriously amazing』, made him feel an itch that he couldn't bear. An itch in an invisible organ of the body, an itch that he couldn't reach even if it itched.
"But you said it so boldly, looking people in the eye, you handsome guy. You're in danger of going down my route, so be careful."
"There are a lot of words I don't understand, but that's okay with you."
"I don't have any hobbies that please the noble classes."
Subaru abruptly ends his conversation with Reinhard, uttering a verbal quibble that is difficult to understand. Meanwhile, the conversation between the best knight and the head of the Society of Sages continues,
"I understand that the relationship between the Euclius family and Lady Anastasia is good. Hmm, then I would like to ask Lady Anastasia a question."
"Finally, it's us. It's a bit troubling that Julius is so pushy with us, but our presence is so weak. I'll answer any questions you have."
Anastasia, who had been leaving the situation to the eloquent Julius, smiled as she said this, and Mycroft returned the favor with a good-natured smile and a nod.
Suddenly, Mycroft's eyes became slightly sharper.
"So let me ask you - Anastasia, a citizen of Kararagi, what is your purpose in aiming to become king of the Kingdom of Lugnica?"
"Ah, so you're still curious about where I'm from?"
Anastasia looked troubled as she fiddled with the ends of her purple hair.
Seeing that attitude, Subaru belatedly realised the intention behind Mycroft's question. In short, he was suggesting that welcoming Anastasia, whose registered domicile is elsewhere, as king of his country would be fraught with problems.
It may seem obvious, but as long as there are countries, there will be divisions between nations and races in this world. It is unclear how high those divisions are, but even in an emergency, it is impossible for a country to simply cede its top position to an invader from another country.
Even if someone claims to be qualified, it is realistically impossible for a Japanese person to become the President of the United States -- even before we even get into the issue of qualifications, the people who make up the country would not be convinced.
Her qualifications had been confirmed, as had her origins. The next question was, why would she aspire to become king? Just as Crusch and Priscilla had explained to her, the answer was now what was being asked of Anastasia.
Everyone in the hall held their breath, waiting for her to speak. As the tension around her grew, Anastasia gave a faint laugh,
"It makes me nervous when people have such expectations of me. Unfortunately, I don't have any noble ideals like Crusch-san, nor do I have the grand confidence that I was chosen to be like Priscilla-san."
"Then you don't mean to say that it just happened because Ryuuji reacted to it?"
"Haha, if that were the case, I wouldn't be able to come out to a place like this either. Of course, I have my own reasons for being here."
Anastasia gave a wry smile at Mycroft's words, then took a breath,
"---Actually, I'm a bit more greedy than most people."
Anastasia said those words as casually as if sticking out her tongue.
The majority of the people in the hall looked as if they couldn't believe their ears at the statement, which was quite different from what they had expected. Anastasia nodded in high spirits after hearing that reaction,
"I come from a rich background, so I think I've had an unusually strong desire for material things since I was little. I think the reason I've been able to make a living like this is because I have a strong attachment to money, even more than I have a nose for it."商人Akindo
Anastasia had said that she was from the lowest class. If her words were to be believed, then her childhood was likely similar to Felt's, where she struggled just to get by day to day. When one thinks back to Felt's cunning and tough appearance compared to Subaru's common sense, one can see what kind of character development takes place in such a place.
Felt, who was standing in the queue of candidates looking lost and in a bad mood, noticed Subaru's lukewarm gaze and turned towards him, so Subaru moved a little to stand behind Reinhard. Felt followed Subaru and met Reinhard's eyes, making a blatantly displeased face, while Reinhard returned a fiercely refreshing smile towards Felt.
"Greed is a scary thing. Once you start looking up, there's no end to it. First you want money for today's meals, then tomorrow's, then a week's worth. You want a safe place to sleep under a roof, you want a bed, you want a softer bed."
Anastasia counts out her wishes on her fingers, gradually increasing her demands.
"I started out as a maid in a small trading company, and when I tried to interfere with how the store owners did things, it was a big hit. After a few times, I was entrusted with larger transactions, and my life became so easy that I forgot I was living at the bottom. But even though it should have been easier, it didn't make me free. No, in fact, it made me even more restricted."
"...Hmm. Why is that?"
"That's the scary thing about greed. Basically, the more places your eyes and hands can reach, the more things you want to grab. I want this, I want that, that's not enough, that's not enough -- and before you know it, you're here."
Smiling brightly, Anastasia pointed down at her feet.
It was clear that this was not just a confirmation of foothold, but a reference to the royal castle. She then gestured to the candidates,
"We are greedy, so we want everything. But we have never been satisfied. We have never known true fulfillment. So we want our own country."
"Would you put the kingdom on the scales of material desire?"
"If that breaks my scale, then I want it to break. If my container doesn't hold everything, that means I'm full."
Anastasia forcefully returned Mycroft's reprimanding words with a smile.
She clearly stated that her reason for seeking the throne was her own "desire," and on that basis,
"But if even after obtaining the kingdom, I still feel unfulfilled...then I guess I'll have to aim higher, including the kingdom."
"What if what you got was worthless to you?"
What would happen if she put it on the scale and it still didn't match her passion? Or even if it was a kingdom? To which Mycroft asked, she gestured with her hands and said, "Oh, no problem."
"I told you, we are greedy. So once we get our hands on something, it's ours no matter what happens to it. And once we get our hands on it, we use it to satisfy our further greed. So our life in Kararagi, the Hoshin Trading Company, and the employees who work there are all part of our passion to satisfy our desires. We wouldn't throw them away."
So, she took a deep breath and looked around at everyone in the hall,
"--Don't worry, you'll be mine now, okay?"
She smiles gently, just as I had felt when we first met in this hall. Beneath that calmness lies a smoldering desire that is almost insane.
Although her ideas were mundane, her argument was simple in comparison.
She desires the throne for her own sake, and has pledged to do everything in her power to bring prosperity to the kingdom once she has it.
She was conveying to us in her words that if she got something, she would never abandon it, and once she had it, she could not help but push it to greater heights.
and,
"Yes, I understand. Lady Anastasia has made quite the point. Now, knight Julius, do you have anything to say?"
Once the master's speech was over, it was time for the attendants to make their customary appeal.
The two men had simply spoken out about the strength of the Master's spirituality, but Julius stepped forward, fiddling with his bangs and saying, "That's true."
"Lady Anastasia has used the common term greed, but on the other hand, it is also an indication of ambition and deep emotion. On the other hand, from the perspective of a business owner, she is also able to choose not to be swayed by emotion. As a leader, these are essential qualities."
"Hmm, I see, that's true."
"Additionally, as I said before, Lady Anastasia's business acumen is something the current kingdom desperately needs. Due to the war expenses and extravagances of the previous king, and the king before that, the kingdom of Lugnica is in serious financial difficulties."
The room erupted in excitement at Julius' sudden remark that touched upon the nation's shame. One of the elders from the Council of Sages also looked down at the young knight with a bitter expression on his face.
"I'm not sure if this is something you should be so careless about in public, Knight Julius."
"It is a well-known fact that fiscal reconstruction has been a priority for the nation for the past few decades. I don't see any need to hide this in front of the people gathered here. Don't you think that the current situation, where even national projects are stalled and we have turned a blind eye, is why we are facing financial difficulties?"
"A mere knight meddling in national politics, a field he has no expertise in..."
"But."
Julius interrupted the old man, whose veins were popping out as he started to argue, and shook his finger.
"Our Euclius family has not been greatly affected. If we had continued to turn a blind eye and conceal the issue, it would have been an issue that I would not have had to face during my generation. However, even if our family is safe, I cannot ignore the fact that the royal family we serve is in financial difficulty."
So, Julius turned his attention to Anastasia, who was standing beside him, and said,
"I had contact with the Hoshin Trading Company, which was at the height of its prosperity in Kararagi, and was trying to bring a breath of fresh air to Lugnica. Along the way, I saw in Anastasia-sama the qualities of a king. What else can I call this but fate?"
Julius was starting to get excited as he spoke, his tone getting higher and his speech becoming faster and more sonorous. He started to use gestures and movements, becoming more and more exaggerated like a stage actor,
"If there is a choice made by God's will, it must be none other than Anastasia. I swear my loyalty to the royal family and to the kingdom, and declare that Anastasia is the one fit to be king. --Thank you for your attention."
Seeing that the audience was listening intently to his speech, he spoke his closing words and bowed to signal the end.
The atmosphere in the hall, where time had stood still until then, began to change, and everyone regained their senses as they listened to the third master and servant's argument.
Among them, only the commander of the knights, Marcos, remained unfazed.
"Knight Julius, I think that's enough."
And so, he calmly accepted the passionate speech and brushed it off.
Julius seemed to be used to such rude reactions from his boss, and responded gracefully, "Yes, thank you," and sat down next to Anastasia.
"You did a great job, Lady Anastasia. You truly are a flower that blooms beautifully in a setting like this."
"In the end, I feel like Julius got my turn. But I praised him highly, so he shouldn't get angry."
Then, laughing together, the master and servant returned to the line of candidates.
Thus, the third candidate's camp finished their arguments, and next up in order was--
"Now, the next candidate - Lady Emilia."
After a moment of silence, the name of the silver-haired girl who had remained quiet up until then was called.
The only girl in the line of candidates without a knight.
She raised her head when she heard her name being called, and her beautiful white face showed a mixture of anxiety and strong determination.
"yes"
Emilia steps forward.
Her royal selection begins now.
--At that time, Natsuki Subaru